Questions on Softback Institute's Conference and Expo

[Kent Newton <KentN -at- METRIX-INC -dot- COM>]

I recently received an application to attend a conference and exposition
on interactive technology and training from a company called Softback
Institute.  The conference is to be held May 12 through 15 in Atlanta,
GA.    Of particular interst to me are the seminars on online
documentation, including:

A Crash Course by  WIlliam Horton
The Paperless Office by Conrad Gottfesdon
Mapping Users with Information Delivery by Tricia Anson
Selecting the Right Tool by Ann Rockley
Publishing for Dual Media by Michael New
Building Online Help & Large Scale Performance Support Tools by Wayne
Robertson
User Profile Matrices by Henry Korman
Estimating Schedule and Scope for a Help Project by Mary Deaton
and others.

The cost for the conference is $895.

My questions are:

Are you familiar with this company?
Would this conference be worth the money, time, and effort to attend?
Other than William Horton (with whom I am familiar), can you tell me
anything about the speakers?

If you are not affliated with Softback Institute and can answer any of
these questions or offer any other information about this conference, I'd
appreciate it if you could respond privately to:

Kent Newton
Senior Technical Writer
Metrix, Inc.
kentn -at- metrix-inc -dot- com